Ice tray grid



R. L. HALLocK 2,538,939

ICE TRAY GRID Jan. 23, 11951 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 26, 1949 Jan.29, 1951 R. L, HALLOCKA 2,538,939

ICE TRAY GRID Filed Feb. 26, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. /5705f/ P7-Hamac/f @fr0/@Mary Patented Jan. 23, lgl .l f, f;

srATEs PATENT o FF'ICE 2 Claims.

My invention relates to ice trays and grids of the resilient wall typeand more particularly those with grid walls that are individually flexedto release ice pieces.

The objects of the invention are to provide an ice tray grid that issimple in structure and operation and which permits stacking of icetrays.

The invention is characterized by a grid structure having a center wallintersecting a series of resilient cross walls having projections attheir outer top edges generally parallel to the center wall formed toprovide leverage ior ilexing the cross walls and to cradle a traystacked thereon.

Other characteristics and the advantages of the invention will appear inthe following description in connection with the accompanying drawingsin which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan View of an ice tray and grid embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2 2 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a partial View like Fig. 1 illustrating how a cross wall isiexed to release ice pieces;

Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective of a cross wall and part oi the centerwall; and

Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are conventional Orthographie views of strip stock inthe several stages of blanking and forming a cross wall.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, an ice tray I0 contains a removable gridcomprising a center wall II intersecting a series of resilient crosswalls I2. The center wall Il is formed of a strip shaped at its ends toconform to the interior of the tray end walls, and out with a series ofnotches projecting upward from the lower edge of the strip like thenotch I3 in Fig. 5.

Each of the cross walls I2, like the cross wall I2 in Fig. 5, has anotch I4 projecting downward from the center of its top edge. The crosswalls are assembled on the center wall with the upper part of the centerwall resting in the notches M, and the notches I3 straddling the lowerparts of the cross walls I2 and l2. The cross walls are held in place bypeening the upper edges of the notches Ill at the top of the cross wall.|The cross wall Il may be flat as illustrated, or it may be curvedslightly in a, vertical are from its bottom edge to the top of thenotches I3 to afford a iirm joint between cross wall and center wallwithout close tolerance in the notches I3 and lli.

The cross walls I 2 have handles or lnger holds at their outer top edgesprojecting horizontally and generally parallel to the center wall. Thecross walls may be arranged so that the handles project in the samedirection or, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, half of the series of crosswalls I2 may have their handles projecting toward one end of the traywhile the other series of cross walls I 2 have their handles projectingtoward the opposite end of the tray.

The cross walls I2 are formed by a continuous press operation. Referringto Figs. 6, '7 and 8, a strip of resilient material I5 is blanked toform opposite edge notches IS and I'I and the center slot I4. Thesimilar portions I8 and I9 are bent to form tabs 20 and 2|. In the nextoperation step the wall I2 is sheared from the strip I5 and the sectionson which the tabs 20 and 2| are located are bent to form the projectionsor handles 22 and 23.

The projections 22 and 23 taper from a relatively broad base at the topedge of the wall I2 outward to the edge of the tray. The tabs 20 and 2Iform upward flanges on the tapered projections 22 and 23. Bending thematerial into two intersecting planes generally perpendicular to eachother and to the plane of the cross wall produces strong linger holdsthat can be squeezed toward the center wall to warp the cross walls torelease ice pieces as illustrated in Fig. 4.

The grid with its projections is all within the area of the tray as maybe seen in Figs. 1 and 4. I'he horizontal and vertical portions of thecross wall flexing handles are aligned and form a cradle adapted toreceive the bottom of a. tray stacked on top of this grid. Theupstanding flanges of tabs 2D and 2I restrain lateral movement of a traystacked on top of a grid.k

The tapering of the exing handles provides for a minimum amount ofmaterial in the handle but yet affords stifening of the top edge of thecross walls for transmission of the warping or flexing stress well intothe cross walls toward the center wall. This is important in eiectingeasy removal of ice pieces by wall exure.

Various changes and modications may be made within the scope of theinvention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An ice tray grid having a center wall intersecting a series offlexible cross walls each with a pair of projections at its outer topedges and projecting in a direction generally parallel to the centerwall, the pair of projections on each cross wall being directly oppositeeach other and having upstanding nger hold portions so that each paircan be squeezed toward the center wall to warp its associated cross wallto release ice adhering thereto.

2. An ice tray grid having a center wall intersecting a series ofresilient cross walls each 5 by opposed forces applied generallyparallel toA the cross walls.

ROBERT LAY HALLOCK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,240,004 Morton, Jr., et al.Apr. 29, 1941 2,418,008 Bauer Mar. 25, 1947 2,454,958 Andersson Nov. 30,1948 10 2,469,067 Follin May 3, 1949

